Get To The Chedda! The Retro Action Movie Podcast

Van Damme's NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER: Villain for a Weekend — Legend for a Lifetime!

No Retreat No Surrender (1986) He had no billing. He had almost no lines. He stole the entire film.Matt and Malcolm dig into Corey Yuen's scrappy, electrifying 1986 martial arts sleeper, one of the great 80s movies you've never given enough credit — and the film that put Jean-Claude Van Damme on the radar a full two years before Bloodsport made him a household name. Jason Stillwell's underdog journey, the ghost of Bruce Lee as a spirit mentor, and the Soviet enforcer Ivan: the villain role JCVD was born to play.We track the underdog training arc, the ghost mentorship, the small-town rivalry, and the tournament showdown. But the real story is what Van Damme does with Ivan — maximum menace, minimum dialogue, zero wasted movement. And we've got something the algorithm will love! We're featuring the deleted scene of Jason and Kelly on a date in Seattle, cut from the final release and rarely discussed. If you've only ever seen the theatrical cut, this one's for you. The debut of a man who didn't need a leading role to announce himself to the world. 40 years on, does it hold? The Chedda Rating decides. Chapters: 0:00 No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) — The Setup 0:58 VHS Legacy & First Impressions 2:33 Corey Yuen & The Hong Kong Martial Arts Wave 5:56 The Bruce Lee Mythology & Kim Tai Chong 7:00 The Story: Jason, Ivan & The LA Dojo 9:05 Moving to Seattle: RJ, Scott & The New Enemies 14:17 Malcolm's Take: The Acting & Characters 19:00 The Soundtrack & The Montage Problem 20:37 The Kelly Subplot & The School Dance 24:58 Three Versions of the Film & The Deleted Scenes 30:00 Bruce Lee's Ghost: The Training Sequences 39:10 The Bar Fight & Father-Son Reconciliation 41:52 The Nightclub Scene & The Michael Jackson Moment 44:28 The Final Tournament 47:46 Ivan the Russian: Van Damme's 12 Minutes 50:45 The Final Fight: Breakdown & Continuity Errors 53:53 Legacy: No Retreat, No Surrender's Cultural Footprint 54:05 Top 3 Van Damme Films 1:01:33 The Cheddar Rating 1:05:00 Raw Deal (1986) — Coming Next Subscribe for weekly 80s breakdowns: youtube.com/@ScreenOne Full Get To The Chedda! Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiFet-zP4QsN1mkF8nxgRoTfDsm5s7uHs #essentialcinema #80smovies #NoRetreatNoSurrender #JeanClaudeVanDamme #MartialArts

Chuck Norris THE DELTA FORCE (1986) The Cannon Masterpiece Chuck Almost Ruined

Is The Delta Force actually Chuck Norris’s best film… or is he the least interesting part of it? In this episode of Get To The Chedda!, we break down one of the most bizarre success stories of 80s action cinema. A film that feels like two completely different movies stitched together: part 70s-style disaster thriller, part full-blown Cannon Films spectacle. Along the way, we dig into a stacked supporting cast led by Lee Marvin in his final performance, alongside Martin Balsam and the ever-reliable Steve James, who quietly steals the entire film. We also put forward Matt's theory: why Executive Decision might be The Delta Force done properly, and how the 90s evolved the Cannon blueprint in ways this film never quite managed. This is a deep dive into an accidental classic. One that somehow survives tonal whiplash, questionable logic, and yes… a rocket-launching dirt bike. Chapters: 00:00 - Introducing The Delta Force 00:45 - Pivoting from Red Sonja | RIP Chuck Norris 02:12 - The 70s Disaster Movie vs. The 80s Action Movie 08:50 - Alan Silvestri's Soundtrack (Make it Stop!) 10:17 - Production Facts: Lee Marvin, the Budget and Chuck's Deal 11:10 - George Kennedy, Shelley Winters and the Hijacking 15:01 - Separating the Jewish Passengers: The Film's Most Powerful Scene 19:11 - Menahem Golan, the Heat and Shelley Winters 22:11 - McCoy Returns 27:49 - The Cannon Machine Kicks In 29:33 - The Car Chase 36:01 - Steve James: 80s Action's Unsung MVP 41:02 - McCoy's Shortcut and the Logic of Cannon Films 43:19 - Chuck Norris's First Kick (One Hour 48 Minutes In) 46:11 - Abdul's End: The Rocket Launchers 48:06 - Lee Marvin Storms the Plane 51:45 - British Passenger Makes Tea During a Hostage Rescue 52:59 - Chuck Norris, the Runway and the Wig 55:30 - Pete's Death and Chuck Almost Cries 57:37 - The 4th Wall Breaking Smiling Extra, the Ending and the Music 01:00:11 - Final Verdict: Cannon's Accidental Masterpiece 01:05:36 - The Executive Decision Thesis 01:10:07 - The Cheddar Meter Score 01:13:02 - Next Time: No Retreat, No Surrender Subscribe to Screen One for straight-talking film discussion, deep dives, and proper cinema conversation.

Russell Mulchay’s HIGHLANDER: Immortals, The Quickening, Queen Anthems & The Kurgan Unleashed!

Highlander (1986) — There can be only one… but the craft is in the details. Matt and Malcolm dig into Russell Mulcahy's neon-gothic sword opera: Christopher Lambert's haunted Connor MacLeod, Sean Connery's swaggering mentor Ramirez, and Clancy Brown's all-timer villain turn as The Kurgan. We track the Highland clan battles and exile, the training and rules of immortality, the Heather romance and the cost of forever, the New York duels and parking-lot sparks, the church face-off dread, and the rooftop final fight for the Prize. Queen's power ("Princes of the Universe," "Who Wants to Live Forever"), music-video kinetics, gritty location work, ringing steel and lightning FX get the microscope. What still rules in 2026, what shows its age, and where this sits in the 80s fantasy-action pocket on the Chedda Rating! Subscribe for weekly 80s breakdowns: youtube.com/@ScreenOne Full Get To The Chedda! Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiFet-zP4QsN1mkF8nxgRoTfDsm5s7uHs [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiFet-zP4QsN1mkF8nxgRoTfDsm5s7uHs] #essentialcinema #80smovies #Highlander #ChristopherLambert #SeanConnery #ClancyBrown

Dolph Lundgren's DARK ANGEL (1990): Killer CDs, Alien Drug Deals, Huge Explosions & Dolph Goes Dark!

Dark Angel (1990) a.k.a. I Come In Peace — Dolph goes dark, Baxley lights the fuse.Dark Angel (1990) — released as I Come in Peace in the US — is Craig R. Baxley at his most unhinged: a 90-minute science fiction action movie with more explosions than plot logic, a 7-foot alien harvesting human endorphins to fuel an intergalactic drug trade, and Dolph Lundgren at his physical peak paired with the most caffeinated FBI agent in cinema history.Matt and Malcolm cover the full film: Baxley's stunt coordinator origins (Predator), his Action Jackson and Stone Cold trilogy, Matthias Hues as the most physically credible villain of the early 90s, the Yan Hammer Miami Vice neon-wash soundtrack, Brian Benben as the 5'7" chalk-and-cheese sidekick, and the single greatest one-liner in 90s action cinema.Why did it bomb at the cinema and become a VHS and DVD phenomenon? Why did Dolph's best physical role give him so little to physically do? And what does a Calico M950 submachine gun modified to look like alien technology actually fire?Chapters: 0:00 Introducing Dark Angel / I Come In Peace0:41 Craig R. Baxley’s explosive action background1:25 Record-breaking explosions every 10–15 minutes3:31 Matthias Hues as the B-movie alien villain5:10 Physical presence and Russian general roles6:23 Brian Benben’s 5'7" vs Dolph’s 6'6" casting8:26 Distinctly 90s aesthetic — neon, blues, steam, flames10:07 Random cop murder plot hole16:14 Matching dark suits after police station explosion16:35 Flying CD of death — practical wire-rig effects17:06 “Super Swede” trope — only smart guy in the room21:55 The Undertaker alien arrives in police car23:11 First motel victim — pinned to the floor24:50 Michael J. Pollard as “Boner”25:41 Dare’s “Maggie” soundtrack moment26:38 Jumping storylines and victim-scene structure27:48 Al Leong! as the money man28:13 Dolph meets Matthias — Manning wants revenge31:59 Mini tanks and constant explosions32:51 Modified Calico M950 SMG35:34 Marshmallow blood theory36:28 Switzer meeting — “eggs and omelet” setup37:04 Shooting FBI chief in the fountain37:48 Police car chase — guns and explosions41:21 “And you go in pieces, asshole” — the one-liner41:55 Happy ending despite FBI murder and city carnage42:25 Benben third-wheeling the romance42:45 Open-ended franchise setup43:05 TV series potential vs movie sequel43:12 Disappointing end credits song43:40 Dolph rarely kicks despite karate skills44:21 Aliens drive most of the action45:13 Wasted potential at Dolph’s physical peak49:00 The Punisher (uncut) comparison — better fights51:11 Next Time: Highlander#DarkAngel #90smovies #DolphLundgren #MatthiasHues #IComeInPeace #essentialcinema

MARKED FOR DEATH (1990) Steven Seagal’s Meanest Breaks?

Steven Seagal was unstoppable in the early 90s — and Marked for Death might be the purest example of that era. This week, we break down Seagal’s third action outing and one of the wildest films of his career. From bone-snapping aikido and whisper-threat dialogue to voodoo gangs, nightclub massacres, and the infamous Screwface twist, Marked for Death is confidence dialled up to dangerous levels. We dig into behind-the-scenes chaos, censored violence, bizarre creative decisions, and why this movie still hits harder than most modern action films. Expect deep-cut trivia, sharp observations, and plenty of laughs along the way. Is it ridiculous? Absolutely. Is it committed? Completely. Is it peak 90s action cinema? Without question. If you love old-school action, practical stunts, and movies that don’t explain themselves — this one’s for you.